September 11, 2019 - The 52nd Balkan Sailing Championships ended with an awards ceremony held last night at the Porto Montenegro Marina. Montenegro can be proud of our national team results in the first big international competition organized for sports classes in our country. We won six medals - five gold and one silver.
The absolute heroes are Milivoj Dukic, Nikola Golubovic, and Danilo Joncic, winning the gold medals. Pavle Music and Viktor Lesjak were excellent in the Optimist class, reaching the gold group.
The coach of the Montenegrin national sailing team and the manager of the 52nd Balkan Championship, Ilko Klakor, is delighted with the result of our national team, but also with the organization of the first major international regatta in our country. "We can be proud of the results and the organization itself. Everything was successfully performed, which is confirmed by the fact that all our guests are satisfied and leave smiling." Klakor thanked everyone who supported the organization of the Balkan Championship. "First of all, I would like to thank the volunteers - our children, who have endured the effort until the last day and have done a tremendous amount of work. We appreciate the help of the Municipality of Tivat, Utility Company, Water Supply, Tivat Tourist Organization, and all other institutions. They have done their part of the job most professionally, thus helping YC Delfin to organize this competition at a top-level," Klakor told Radio Tivat.
Among 105 competitors in the Optimist class, Dimitros Bitros from Greece won the gold. The silver medal went to Alexandros Piperakis, and the celebration of the Greeks completed Alexandros Joanidis, who deserved the third place. Stefan Yuill from Serbia was seventh, Pavle Music from Montenegro finished 16th.
And in the girls' competition, all three medals in the Optimist class went to Greece. Gold went to Elizabeth Ana Winters, silver to Kerkez Jacob, and bronze to Evangelia Karageorge.
But Turkey's Ozdemir belt is the first in the Optimist class of sailors up to 12 years old. The second is his compatriot Kustal Gounes Karkmaz, and the third is Joanis Turnis of Greece. Viktor Lesjak from Montenegro is 11th and his teammate Petar Klakor is 21st.
The gold medal in the open part of the competition in the Optimist Class won Dimitros Bitros from Greece; the silver went to Croatian, Josip Tafra. The third was Alexandros Piperakis from Greece.
Nikola Golubović, Copyright: YC Delfin Delfin's young competitor, Nikola Golubović won the gold medal in the Laser 4.7 class. The silver medal went to George Papadakos from Greece, and the bronze medal also went to Greece thanks to Jasanos Kefalonitis.
In the women's competition, the first place in the class Laser 4.7 won Sofia Rapti from Greece. Silver went to Ana Jovanovic from Serbia, her compatriot Kristina Color was third.
Nikola Golubovic from Montenegro won the gold medal in the open part of the competition in the Laser 4.7 class. The silver medal went to George Papadakos of Greece and the bronze to Jasanos Cephalonitis, also of Greece. Ana Jovanovic and Kristina Bojja from Serbia finished fifth and sixth respectively.
Danilo Joncic, Copyright: YC Delfin In the Laser Radial class, the first place and the gold medal won Danilo Joncic from Montenegro. The silver medal went to Nikolas Gikonis from Greece, and the third place and the bronze medal earned Maximilian Roska from Romania. Stefan Anđelić from Montenegro, who was second after the first day of the competition, finished the Balkan Championship in fourth place.
Romania's Ebru Bolat won the gold medal in the Laser Radial class, which is the women's Olympic class. The silver medal went to Mariela Nikolova of Bulgaria, while Amalia Prevalencia won the bronze medal from Greece. Ksenija Joksimovic from Serbia took fourth place.
In the open part of the competition in the Laser Radial class, the gold medal won Ebru Bolat from Romania. The second was Danilo Joncic from Montenegro, and, thanks to Nikolas Gikonos, the bronze went to Greece.
Milivoj Dukic, Copyright: YC Delfin In the Laser Standard class, Montenegrin Olympian Milivoj Dukic won first place and a gold medal. The silver medal won Aligizakis Leonidis from Greece, and Ivo Todorov from Bulgaria won bronze after a big mistake by Ilija Markovic, who had crossed at the start of the last regatta. Disqualified for that reason, Ilija finished fifth in the Balkan Championship, although he almost had a medal in his hands. Nikola Banjac from Serbia was fourth.
Milivoj Dukic won the gold medal in the open part of the competition in Olympic class of Laser Standard. Silver went to Aligizakis Leonidis of Greece, while bronze went to Canada, thanks to Carim Filah. Bozidar Golubic from Croatia was fifth, Nikola Banjac from Serbia was sixth, and Ilija Markovic finished seventh.
The Balkan Sailing Championship is over, and thoughts are already turning to next summer when a new major international competition will be organized in Montenegro and Tivat. It is the European Championship for sailors under 21 in the Olympic classes Laser Standard and Laser Radial. European competition will be a new challenge for the Sailing Federation of Montenegro and the Sailing Club Delfin.
